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One of the worlds most popular and influential Heavy Metal bands – Judas Priest are set to rock the UK to it’s very core when they bring their ‘Priest Feast’ tour to play 7 arena dates in February 2009 with support from special guests – Thrash Metal veterans Megadeth and Testament.

Since 1974, Judas Priest has been one of heavy metal’s most successful bands, issuing such all-time classic albums as 1980’s ‘British Steel,’ 1982’s ‘Screaming for Vengeance,’ and 1990’s ‘Painkiller,’ and such arena-rocking anthems as “Breaking the Law,” “Living After Midnight,” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.” However, Priest’s influence goes far beyond their music – they were the first metal band to embrace the ‘leather biker look,’ a fashion that has since become synonymous with the musical genre. Additionally, Halford’s powerful four-and-a-half octave vocal range and the twin guitar harmonies of Downing and Tipton have been ‘studied’ by countless metal bands in Priest’s wake.

Think ‘Double vinyl, gatefold sleeve concept album,’ and some of rock’s all-time classic recordings come to mind. But in the realm of heavy metal, there has never been a double vinyl (now disc!) concept album that has managed to balance a thought-provoking storyline with metallic thunder. That was, until now. Metal legends JUDAS PRIEST released their sprawling double disc concept album, ‘Nostradamus’ via Columbia Records on Monday, June 16th in the UK/Europe, and a day later in the US on Epic Records.

MEGADETH
As one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands of all time, Megadeth have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, including six consecutive platinum albums, with seven consecutive Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance. Megadeth has remained a vital element in continuing to define and redefine the sound and the fury of metal music and with each new album, forges new ground and stretches the very boundaries where metal lives.

TESTAMENT
Testament was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1980’s. Undoubtedly, they are the inventors of the thrash-metal wheel. Testament’s powerful sound, influence, and longevity make them one of the Top 5 All-Time Legendary Thrash Metal Bands, putting them in the company of Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica, and Anthrax. They re-formed with the original line up (vocalist ChuckBilly, guitarists Eric Peterson & Alex Skolnick, and bassist Greg Christian – along with friend and former member, Paul Bostaph) to record their 9th studio album – their first in nearly a decade entitled ‘Formation of Damnation’ (released April this year) which also won them ‘Best Album’ at the Metal Hammer ‘Golden Gods’ Awards this summer.

Having the opportunity to see 3 such important and influential bands within the world of Metal on the same bill is cause for excitement. Make sure you don’t miss the chance to witness Metal history in the making and ensure you are part of Priest Feast 2009.

‘PRIEST FEAST’
JUDAS PRIEST
With Special Guests Megadeth and Testament

Despite a 61% drop in sales, Metallica’s “Death Magnetic” holds tight at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 for a third week. The Warner Bros. set moved 132,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, making it only the second album this year to claim three straight weeks in the penthouse. Jack Johnson’s “Sleep Through the Static” achieved the same in February.

The hard rock set edges out budding Disney star Demi Lovato’s debut album, “Don’t Forget,” which bows at No. 2 with 89,000. The singer is featured prominently in the TV movie “Camp Rock” alongside the Jonas Brothers.

Ne-Yo’s “Year of the Gentleman” (Def Jam) slips 2-3 with 83,000, a 67% sales decrease. Nashville rockers Kings Of Leon enjoy their best charting and sales week yet, as “Only by the Night” (RCA) starts at No. 4 with 74,000. Their previous best came with 2007’s “Because of the Times,” which opened at No. 25 with 41,000. As reported Monday, Kings Of Leon is No. 1 on both the U.K. album and singles charts.

Starting at No. 5 with 74,000 is the Pussycat Dolls’ sophomore Interscope set, “Doll Domination.” Their 2005 debut, “PCD,” peaked at the same slot but has gone on to sell 2.9 million copies in the U.S. The new album is led by the top 10 Hot 100 hit “When I Grow Up.”

With the help of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs No. 1 single “Need U Bad,” Jazmine Sullivan’s debut “Fearless” enters at No. 6 with 66,000. The J Records album also crowns the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums tally.

A week shy of a year on the chart, Kid Rock’s “Rock N Roll Jesus” (Top Dog/Atlantic) drops 4-7 with a 5% decline to 60,000 copies.

Joe returns to The Billboard 200 with his first album since departing Jive, “Joe Thomas, New Man!” (Kedar), at No. 8 with 54,000.

In a week with 16 new titles in the top 50, TV On The Radio’s “Dear Science” (Interscope) debuts at No. 12 with 32,000, both career bests. Jackson Browne’s “Time the Conquerer” (Inside Recordings, No. 20, 25,000), Cold War Kids’ “Loyalty to Loyalty” (Downtown, No. 21 with 22,000), Jenny Lewis’ “Acid Tongue” (Warner Bros., No. 24 with 21,000) and David Gilmour’s “Live in Gdansk” (Columbia, No. 26 with 19,000) are also new on the chart.

At 6.45 million units, sales this week are down 6.8% from last week’s sum and down a whopping 28.8% from the same week last year.

UK fans- Wanna come to an AC/DC party? Be Angus! Gibson Guitar has secured three pairs of exclusive tickets to the first playback of the new AC/DC album BLACK ICE on Tuesday 14th October at a secret central London location. To be in with a chance of attending this special day time event and hear the new AC/DC album in its entirety one week before anyone else, visit your nearest Gibson Guitar and Epiphone guitar dealer, rock out you best Angus Young pose, and send us your picture!

For full details on how to win tickets to the album play back and to find your nearest UK Gibson Guitar dealer please visit – www.beingangus.com.

Sixteen years is a long time to wait for an album to be released, but that is how long I waited for Johnny Crash’s second album “Unfinished Business” to finally see the light of day. I guess the question is was it worth the wait, that is where the answer gets tricky. If any of you read or participate in HRH Forums you may know that Johnny Crash’s debut album “Neighbourhood Threat” is one of my top 5 all time albums. It has great songs from start to end but the biggest thing for me is after listening to it for the past 18 years it still does not sound dated to me. “Hey Kid”, “Crack of Dawn”, & “Ax To The Wax” all sound as great today as they did in 1990 when I first bought the cassette.

Unfortunately that is what is missing off “Unfinished Business” now don’t get me wrong there are some good songs and there are some o.k. songs but there are no great songs and as much as I hate to say it the album sounds very dated. “Damnnation Alley” and “Mama Don’t Care” try to capture the in your face balls to the wall feeling of the debut while they come close in the end just can’t pull it off. “Mama Don’t Care” could definitely be a better song but instead of letting it end the last minute and half is a senseless and useless outro that kills all the momentum of the song. “In The Groove” shows the guys stretching a little bit more with the acoustic intro and could have easily been a good stripper song back in the day but not in ’08. “Rock-n-Roll Suicide” is another attempt at trying to recreate the energy of the debut but it to falls a little short.

It’s not often that I say this but in this instant the best song off of “Unfinished Business” is a ballad “When It Gets Hard”. Vicki James Wright really gets to stretch his vocals on this song, it has a real bluesy feel and a backup choir that really helps fill the song out.

I don’t know if it was the fact that Dizzy Reed replaced August Worchell on lead guitar or because the band was still morning the loss of bassist Andy Rogers who died from a heroin overdose, but something is definitely missing off this album. To answer the question was it worth the wait? Yes and No I love the fact that I got to hear some new Johnny Crash songs, I just wished the songs were a little better than they are.

With an impressive seventeen releases in 19 years, the Axel Rudi Pell Band counts among the most consistent, lasting and creative acts in the whole of Europe. Very few German guitarists can point to as long and successful a career as the musician from Bochum, whose unmistakable signature marks not only his characteristic guitar style, but also his compositional skills. 27 October 2008 (Germany: 24 October 2008) will see the arrival of his eighteenth offering, Tales Of The Crown, a haunting studio album featuring ten brand-new compositions. “Our fans will get just the kind of songs they have come to know and expect from me and my band,” says Pell, adding, “plus a few little innovations.” Axel Rudi Pell is referring to the contemporary touch which some of his latest tracks feature, mainly in terms of rhythm. “But don’t worry, these modern approaches are only gradual and don’t affect the typical flair of my songs.”

Tales Of The Crown was recorded at Gelsenkirchen’s Redhouse Studios by the tried and tested line-up consisting of Axel Rudi Pell, American vocalist Johnny Gioeli, keyboardist Ferdy Doernberg, bassist Volker Krawczak and drummer Mike Terrana. The album was produced by Axel Rudi Pell and sound engineer Charlie Bauerfeind, who also mixed the ten new numbers. Like its highly successful predecessor, the accomplished cover artwork was created by the Columbian artist, Felipe Machado Franco.
All those who were disappointed that the Axel Rudi Pell Band couldn’t make this year’s Wacken Open Air festival (vocalist Johnny Gioeli was unavailable due to commitments in the US) can look forward to their next tour in January/February 2009 – detailed concert dates to follow soon – and make a note in their diaries of the 20th anniversary W:O:A 2009, for which the band has already been confirmed.